Pupils at Dingwall Academy win £3k for Inverness Foodstuff

A charity which supports homeless and vulnerable people has received a £3000 boost thanks to a winning pitch by a group of young people.

Inverness Foodstuff, based at Ness Bank Church, runs a community café which is a lifeline and sanctuary for those facing significant challenges including financial hardship and homelessness.

Three days a week, it provides a three-course freshly-cooked vegetarian meal but also acts as a hub where people can collect leftover food supplies and access services, or even get a haircut.

Its services have become even more vital as the cost-of-living crisis deepens.

Cost of living crisis: Food, friendship and a lifeline

A group of Dingwall Academy pupils championed the charity when they took part in the citizenship programme Youth and Philanthropy Initiative (YPI) Scotland.

The student-led initiative is open to schools in Scotland and encourages young people to make a difference in their communities while developing skills.

It involves young people in each school from a particular year choosing a local charity they want to champion and developing a presentation which highlights the social issues the charity is addressing and the difference the £3000 will make to the charity.

All of S3 at Dingwall Academy took part with more than 40 groups putting forward charities.

But the judges were unanimous by the well-researched, informative presentation championing Inverness Foodstuff put forward by pupils Harry Stewart, Finlay Coals, Seth Hitchen, Magnus Atkinson and Angus Porter.

The cash boost for Inverness Foodstuff comes as it is experiencing growing demand for meals.

On November 29, for example, it provided 80 meals – the highest number per session this year – and it now opens for breakfasts.

Inverness Foodstuff operations manager Pam Urquhart praised the pupils.

“When they came to visit us at Inverness Foodstuff, we were very impressed with them,” she said.

“The questions they asked were very clear and they showed a lot of interest.

“It is fantastic they have won. The money will be a big help.”

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